Psychology Degree Levels

Psychology Schools in Louisiana

The following guide to schools in Louisiana provides you with important information on the many undergraduate and graduate psychology programs in the state and is designed to help you find the best program for your academic and career goals. The psychology programs at Louisiana’s colleges and universities allow students to focus on numerous areas of psychology, including general psychology, forensic psychology, and psychometrics psychology. A convenient and flexible alternative to traditional psychology programs is online universities that offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology.

Psychology Program Stats

There are 22 not-for-profit colleges and universities with psychology degree programs in Louisiana.1

No schools offer an associate’s degree in psychology.1

21 schools offer a bachelor’s degree in psychology.1

13 schools offer a master’s or advanced degree in psychology.1

2 schools ranked in Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges in 2017: Louisiana State University and A & M College (#65 in-state, #85 out-of-state), Louisiana Tech University (#78 in-state, #72 out-of-state).2

2 schools ranked in the Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Psychology Majors for 2018: Loyola University New Orleans, Xavier University of Louisiana.3

Schools in Louisiana with Psychology Programs

Traditional Undergraduate Programs

Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University’s undergraduate program in psychology leads to the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology. The 120-credit program typically takes four years to complete. In addition to general college requirements in math, science, and social sciences, psychology majors must complete such required courses as Introduction to Psychology, Statistics, Experimental Psychology, and the History of Psychology. Students are encouraged to enroll in research courses and assist faculty with their current research. Research may focus on visual memory and attention, severe mental illness, and adult development and aging. Eligible students may also join the honors program. The honors program requires the completion of 12 credits, including a thesis.

Tulane University

Tulane University’s Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology is the university’s self-proclaimed top program. Psychology majors will take a vast array of courses on such topics as introduction to psychology, univariate statistics, the psychology of disaster, behavior modification and analysis, and cognitive neuroscience. A capstone project is required in the senior year. Students are encouraged to pursue an undergraduate research assistantship to gain valuable research skills, and eligible students may write an honors thesis. Psychology majors may want to join the Psychology Club, the Tulane University Neuroscience Association, or Psi Chi, the national honor society for psychology students.

Traditional Graduate Programs

University of Louisiana

The University of Louisiana at Monroe’s Master of Science (MS) in Psychology features three concentrations to choose from: general psychology, forensic psychology, or psychometrics psychology. The general psychology concentration is designed to prepare students, through two years of courses and intensive research, to continue on to doctoral study. The program requires students to complete a minimum of 36 credits in such courses as social cognition and intelligence testing. Graduate students pursuing the forensic psychology concentration typically move on to doctoral study or enter the field, working under a forensic psychologist. The 36-credit program spans two years and students may be eligible for one of a limited number of assistantships in the psychology department. Graduate students in the psychometric concentration generally graduate and enter the field, working in such areas as psychological assessment, or continue on to doctoral studies. The program also runs two years and requires 36 credits.

Southeastern Louisiana University

Southeastern Louisiana University confers the Master of Arts (MA) in Psychology to students who successfully complete the two-year, 38-credit graduate program. Graduate students must complete 26 credits of required courses which encompass learning, memory, and cognition; social psychology; and experimental design and analysis. A thesis is required as are 12 credits of electives in topics including history and systems, individual research in psychology, and developmental psychology. Participating in a practicum is also encouraged, and all students must successfully pass a comprehensive exam after completing five courses. Students who fail the exam twice will be dismissed from the program. Graduate students may be eligible for one of 10 assistantships, which will help defray educational costs and provide a stipend.

Online Psychology Programs

Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Northwestern State University of Louisiana offers an online Bachelor of Science in Psychology that provides students with a broad background in psychology as well as opportunities to begin specializing in various areas within the field. The degree prepares graduates for entry-level careers in human resources, communications, and mental health support while also laying the groundwork for graduate study. Faculty who teach the program have backgrounds in clinical and counseling psychology as well as deep experience in their fields of particular expertise. Courses within the program include Psychology as a Profession, Introduction to Experimental Methodology, Statistics for Psychology, and Psychology in Business & Industry. 48 credit hours of psychology courses are required to earn the degree, which takes a total of 120 credit hours to complete.

McNeese State University

McNeese State University is home to an online Master of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis. The master’s program specifically prepares graduates to work as applied behavior analysts in community settings. The curriculum includes academic training as well as fieldwork and supervised experiences that emphasize assessments and interventions in order to adequately prepare students for work in the real world. To be considered for admission students must have a minimum score of 285 on the GRE and an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5, as well as meet statistics and undergraduate psychology course prerequisites. The MA in Psychology requires 55 credit hours to complete and includes such courses as Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis, Psychopathology, Applied Behavior Analysis Interventions, and Ethics for Behavior Analysts.

The table below is designed to help you compare not-for-profit psychology schools in Louisiana on a variety of factors. Clicking on the arrows in the top row allows you to sort the table. In addition to factors such as focus areas offered and tuition costs, accreditation is an important consideration when researching psychology programs. Depending on the type of program and the ultimate career path you are considering, accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA), the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Education Programs (CACREP), or the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) can make it easier to become licensed in your desired area of practice. For more information on these accreditations, see our overview of accreditation for psychology programs. You should also ensure that the program you are considering will meet the licensure requirements in the state where you wish to practice. The Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP), a licensing exam administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), is required in most US states in order to qualify for psychologist licensure. The EPPP results shown below are provided are for the exam period from February 1, 2015 to March 21, 2016.6 Only results from APA-accredited or ASPPB-designated doctoral programs with at least four test-takers during the exam period are included.6

School

BA/BS Program

Graduate Program

Online Psych Programs

National Accred.*

Grad Rate**

EPPP Pass Rate6

Number Taking6

College Factual Undergrad Ranking4

US News Grad Rank5

Net Price

Centenary College of Louisiana

Yes

No

No

—

47%

—

—

—

—

$23,607

Dillard University

Yes

No

No

—

39%

—

—

—

—

$18,801

Grambling State University

Yes

No

No

—

34%

—

—

—

—

$17,239

Louisiana College

Yes

No

No

—

35%

—

—

—

—

$13,821

Louisiana State University and A & M College (Clinical PhD)

Yes

Yes

No

APA, CACREP, NASP

68%

100%

9

—

148^

$15,095

Louisiana State University and A & M College (School PhD)

Yes

Yes

No

APA, CACREP, NASP

68%

100%

5

—

148^

$15,095

Louisiana State University-Alexandria

Yes

No

Bachelor’s

—

26%

—

—

—

—

$7,981

Louisiana State University-Shreveport

Yes

Yes

No

NASP

36%

—

—

—

—

$8,274

Louisiana Tech University

Yes

Yes

No

APA, CACREP

52%

100%

5

—

—

$9,497

Loyola University New Orleans

Yes

No

No

CACREP

55%

—

—

—

—

$24,119

McNeese State University

Yes

Yes

Bachelor’s, Master’s

CACREP

42%

—

—

—

—

$9,978

Nicholls State University

Yes

Yes

No

CACREP, NASP

47%

—

—

—

—

$10,169

Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Yes

Yes

Bachelor’s

CACREP

35%

—

—

—

—

$11,567

Southeastern Louisiana University

Yes

Yes

No

CACREP

40%

—

—

—

—

$10,850

Southern University and A & M College

Yes

Yes

Bachelor’s

CACREP

29%

—

—

—

—

$12,455

Southern University at New Orleans

Yes

No

No

—

16%

—

—

—

—

$5,909

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Xavier University of Louisiana

No

Yes

No

—

N/A

—

—

—

—

N/A

Tulane University

Yes

Yes

No

APA

83%

—

—

77

148^

$32,515

University of Holy Cross

Yes

No

No

CACREP

28%

—

—

—

—

$13,212

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Yes

Yes

No

CACREP

45%

—

—

—

—

$10,200

University of Louisiana at Monroe

Yes

Yes

Bachelor’s, Master’s

CACREP

43%

—

—

—

—

$9,145

University of New Orleans

Yes

Yes

No

CACREP

36%

—

—

—

—

$9,428

Xavier University of Louisiana

Yes

No

No

CACREP

42%

—

—

—

—

$17,430

Schools marked with a caret (^) in US News Best Graduate Psychology Programs ranked in a tie with other programs in their respective positions. *See our guide to psychology program accreditation for more information on these accrediting bodies. **The graduation rate is for first-time, full-time undergraduate degree- or certificate-seeking students in cohort years 2008 to 2010 and is calculated based on the percentage of students earning their degree or certificate within 150% of the normal time for program completion.1

Schools with Psychology Degree Programs in Louisiana

Note: Student Reviews are based on the experiences of a few individuals and it is unlikely that you will have similar results. Please review the “Data, Student Reviews and Other Information” section in our Terms of Use and Disclaimers.

Student Review: “The experience that I had at McNeese State University was a bit of disappointment. The classes were not challenging to me at all. Most of what I was taught there was already taught to me in my high school. Because of this, I lost interest in school and every day was dreadful. I did not want to be there at all. The only upside about the whole situation was that there was a lot of help at the school and I really liked that. This is probably the only reason I passed and graduated with a 3.3 GPA. I would attend as many tutoring courses as I could and I would ask my teachers questions whenever they were available.” – student at McNeese State University

Student Review: “I was highly unhappy and disappointed during my time at McNeese State University. I just felt like an outsider from my freshman year all the way to my senior year. I made no friends at all so I did not experience the “college life.” The curriculum was very basic for a state school and often left me unchallenged. This all left me uninterested and often failing. The only good thing about school was there was a lot of help from teachers when I did have trouble. I even graduated on time due to this help from the teachers.” – student at McNeese State University